The application relates to a rod-shaped implant, in particular for spinal stabilization, and to a method and a tool for producing such a rod-shaped implant.
A rod-shaped implant made of a plastic material for the dynamic stabilization of portions of the spinal column is known, for example, from US 2007/0093820 A1, US 2007/0161999 A1 and US 2007/0270843 A1.
The rod-shaped implants of the prior art are made of a plastic material having specific properties such as bending flexibility. The size of these implants, in particular their length is dimensioned such that, when anchored in the vertebrae, they extend along one or several motion segments of the spine for allowing a limited motion of the vertebrae of the respective motion segments. If a larger portion of the spine has to be stabilized several individual rods having different properties may be used for different portions of the spine.
It is further known to connect two metallic rod or a metallic rod and a flexible plastic rod with a rod connector device.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need to provide a rod-shaped implant, in particular for the stabilization of the spine, and a method and a tool for the production thereof which allows the stabilization of bone segments or motion segments of the spinal column with various degrees of flexibility along different portions of the bone segments or the spinal column.